Adjustable ladder.



L. PETERSON.

ADJUSTABLE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. H. 1916.

1,2U6fi43. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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ADJUSTABLE LADDER.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application filed April 11, 1916. Serial No. 90,508.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Madrid, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa, haveinvented a certain new and useful Adjustable Ladder, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a ladder especially adapted for use in fruit orchards and the like, and so arranged that the ladder is supported upon its own base without the necessity of raising the upper end against any additional support.

Still a further object to provide such a ladder having adjustable parts so arranged that the ladder can be held upright regardless of inequalities or inconvenience in the ground on which the base of the ladder rests.

Still a further object is to provide such a ladder so arranged as to be capable of some swinging movement at its upper portion so as to allow the person thereon a maximum range of activity.

Still a further object is to provide such a ladder having a part especially adapted to slidably support a belt or the like on a person using the ladder.

A further object is to provide such a base and such a ladder which can be quickly and easily detached therefrom and used in the ordinary way. 7

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a ladder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a detail, sectional view showing a portion of the ladder and the supporting platform thereon. Fig. 3 shows a horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and Fig. l shows a top or plan view of the socket and part of the base members. Fig. 5 shows a detail view of an end of one of the springs. Fig. 6 shows a vertical, sectional view of the socket. Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the turning step.

In the constructionof my ladder, there is employed an upwardly opening socket of any suitable form which I have indicated in the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by the reference character 10.

The socket 1O rests upon a base member 11, which may be a 2X 1 laid on edge.

Arranged, at right-angles below the base member 11 is a base member 12 designed to rest on the ground. At the ends of the member 11 are downward extensions 13 the lower surfaces of which are of the same level with the lower surfaces of the base member 12. Below the base member 12 is a flat plate 14. Bolts 15 extend downwardly through. the bottom of the socket 10, and through the plate 14 for firmly connecting the base members 11 and 12 and the socket 10. The socket 10 may be formed with a brace member 16 extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to the upper surface of the base member 12 on one side of the socket 15. The lower end of the brace member 16 may be secured to the base member 12 by means of a U-bolt 17. The socket 10 preferably has on its outer surface a plurality of ears 18 having openings 19 through them, whereby a hook or other means may be used for drawing the ladder and the base therefor over the ground. An upright 20 stands with its lowerend received in the socket 10. The size, and shape and length of the upright 20 may be varied as desired. In the upper end of the upright 20 is an upwardly extending section of pipe 21. Mounted on the-pipe 21 at the upper end of the upright 20 is a collar 22, at the lower portion of which is a flange 23. Just below the flange 23 on the upper end of the upright 20 is a piece of strap iron or the like 2?: which extends downwardly and outwardly from the upright 20 on both sides thereof for a short distance and thence downwardly in spaced parallel lines forming the ladder sides 25.

Extended through the uprights 20, at suitable intervals, are ladder rungs 26, the outer ends of which are secured to and supported by the strap iron side members 25. On opposite sides of the upright 20, near the lower ends thereof, are suitable brackets preferably angle-irons 27, in which are mounted the shanks of eye-bolts 28. A cable or the like 29 is secured to the eye-bolts 28 and extends through the collar 22 and upright members 21, as shown in Fig. 2. The purpose of the cable 29 will be hereinafter more fully referred to.

An ordinary platform may be used which a is adapted to be adjustably mounted on the ladder comprising a fiat platform member having at its end upwardly extending arms 31 provided at their upperends with hook members 32 adapted to be extended 7 over and receive a rung of the ladder on opposite sides of the upright 20.

This device is especially adapted to be used where the operator is picking fruit from a tree on which each fruit is some distance apart, so that the picker does not have to remain in the same position. By using this hook-shaped step the picker may place his foot on it without danger of it slipping off, as is the case with a fiat step, shown in Fig. 2.

On opposite sides of the upright 20, spaced from the lower end thereof, are horizontal plates 33 having outwardly and downwardly inclined hook members 34 at their ends. The plates 33 are connected by suitable bolts 35 which are also located on opposite sides of the upright 20.

Secured to each member 12 and 11 near the outer end thereof is a rod 36 inclined upwardly and toward the upright 20. At the upper end of each rod 36 is aring 36*. Se-

cured to each ring 36 is a chain 38 having links which may be selectively hooked over I the hook members 34. Secured to one of the intermediate links of each chain 38 is the upper end of a coil spring 37 Y which has at its lower end a hook member 36. The upper end of each spring is fastened to the cham at such a point that if the hook memher is secured to the ring 36 at the upper end of the rod 36, there will be a slack portion of chain between the ends of the spring, so that the upright will be yieldingly supported in the position to which it may be adjusted.

It will be seen that by fastening the hook on the spring selectively in different links of the chain near the upper end of therod 36, the stretch of the spring may be limited as desired.

It will be seen that the amount of slack left on the chain limits the expanding movement of the spring, and that by varying the point at Which the hook of the spring is secured, either to the chain or to the ring at the upper end-of the rod 36, the swaying movement of the upright may be varied and regulated. It will alsobe seen that by simply allowing the hook to hang from its upper end without connecting its lower end to the chain on the rod, the ladder can be rigidly held in its adjusted position.

Slidably mounted on the upright 21 is a ring 39. Slidably mounted on each stretch of the cable 29 is a ring 40 to which is detachably secured a belt 41.

I will now describe the practical operation and use of my improved ladder.

Assuming that the ladder is to be used for picking fruit in an orchard or the like, the ladder is placed on the ground. If the ground should be uneven, so that the members 11. and 12 tend to tilt, the upright 29 may be moved to vertical position and by adjusting the chains 38 on the hooks 34, the ladder can be secured in upright position regardless of inequalities in the surface of the ground. The fruit picker may secure the belt 41 around his body and the ring 40 will readily slide up and down the cable 29, so that the fruit picker can stand anywhere on the rungs of the ladder and be supported by the belt. He can quickly move to different heights on the ladder as the ring 40 will slide freely. The user of the ladder may, if desired, place a pail on or sit or stand on the member 30 and the member 30 may be adjusted by securing the hooks 32 on different rungs of the ladder. It will readily be seen that the belt may be detached from the ring 40 on one side of the upright 20 and attached to the ring 40 on the other side or to the ring 39 on the upright member 21. It will also be noted that by swaying the body somewhat, the user of the ladder can make it swing and sag against the tension of the spring 37, so that by very simple manipulation the user can make the ladder .very considerably increase the area of the users operations.

The whole device is of comparatively light weight and is not expensive.

The strap iron members 25 prevent the feet from slipping off the ladder rungs.

It will be seen from the showing of the socket in. Fig. 6, that the entire walls thereof are curved, so as not to interfere with the swinging of the ladder from the vertical to various inclined positions. On account of this construction, it will be seen that if the ladder should accidentally slip during the adjustment of the parts, or at any other time, there would be no danger of breaking the lower end of the ladder or the walls of the socket.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of'the parts of my improved ladder without departing from its essential features and purposes, and it is my intention to cover by this application any such changes which may be included within the scope of my claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a device of the class described, a

base, a. ladder having its upper end capable of swaying to different positions, and adjustable means for interchangeably rigidly, or yieldingly holding the ladder in any of its adjusted positions. 7

2. A ladder having a base, an upright member mounted thereon, and adapted to move to different positions with relation thereto, means for yieldingly supporting said ladder in an upright position and for limiting the swing permitted by the yielding means.

3. A ladder having a base, an upright member mounted thereon, and adapted to move to different positions with relation thereto, means for yieldingly supporting members between the upright and base, said I brace members being adjustably attached at one end and having a yielding portion with means for limiting the play allowed by said yielding portion.

Madrid, Iowa, April 7 1916.

LEWIS PETERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

